Sports implements are used in various sports to throw, strike, or otherwise move a ball or other object by performing a swing movement. For example, in softball, a player swings a bat to strike a ball during a game. The bat includes a barrel for striking the ball and a handle for holding the bat. A proximal end region of the bat handle is generally provided with a knob to abut a hand of the player.
Existing knobs are fixed at a predetermined angle with respect to the bat handle such that it is not readily possible for the player to adjust the angle defined by the surface of the knob engaging his/her hand. In some cases, the knob may not be oriented as the player would like and/or is a source of discomfort as the player swings the bat. This may have adverse effects on the player's “feel” of the bat. In addition, existing knobs that define an angle other than a right angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the bat may not provide the suitable hand-engaging surface angle for each specific player. However, these fixed angled knobs do not enable the batter to use more than one side of the bat. This reduces the life of the bat and the freedom of the player to choose impact location. Similar issues may arise in other sports, such as baseball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, squash, racquetball or cricket, in which players use sticks or other sports implements by performing a swing movement.